


Dance in the Dark of Night (Sing to the Morning Light)

by Amethyst Shard (AmethystShard)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Charlie Bradbury (mentioned) - Freeform, Dorothy Baum (mentioned) - Freeform, Dragons, Fairies, Fairy Tale Elements, Fix-It, Land of Oz, M/M, Post-Episode: s09e10 Road Trip, Sarcastic Castiel (Supernatural), Season/Series 09, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21657997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmethystShard/pseuds/Amethyst%20Shard
Summary: What if Dean hadn't taken off on his own at the end of "Road Trip"? What if he'd returned to the bunker to help Sam and Castiel? What would have happened? Maybe something magical.* * *This fic was written forSPN Reverse Bang 2019in response to Aceriee's gorgeous art which you can see in fullhereon AO3 or onTumblr. Please leave some kudos and love for her! <3 I only wish this story could be worthy of her fantastic art.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	Dance in the Dark of Night (Sing to the Morning Light)

**Author's Note:**

> All art is by Aceriee.  
> Story title borrowed from Zeppelin's 'The Battle of Evermore'.

  
Dean sat at the kitchen table, sandwich left half-eaten on its plate, as he flipped through news stories on his phone looking for a case. Nothing out of the ordinary popped up, which meant that unless Dean could find another distraction, he would have to return to the endless (and so far fruitless) search for something that could kill a Knight of Hell. He thought about making a food run, but the kitchen was already stocked up. Dean pocketed his phone and stood. Maybe Sam or Cas was ready for a break.

He found Sam in the library on his laptop. There was a tall stack of files next to him.

"Hey, Sammy-"

"Busy."

"Cas?"

Sam tapped something out on the keyboard. "He's busy too."

"Where is he?"

"Room 5B."

Dean knew Sam was being deliberately curt. He'd been giving him the cold shoulder ever since finding out about Ezekiel. Gadreel. "Always nice chatting with you Sammy."

Sam never looked up from his laptop but flipped him off as he walked away.  
Room 5B was basically a large storage room. Rows of dusty shelves filled with magical artifacts of various kinds took up nearly every square inch of the place. There was a small desk tucked away in the corner next to an oak index-card cabinet, the kind they used to use in libraries before everything went digital. One of the small drawers was pulled open and Cas was rifling through the cards inside.

Dean coughed. "Hey."

To his credit, Cas didn't jump. Index-card in hand, Cas turned around. "Hello, Dean." He walked over to a shelf and flipped over a tag that was hanging from a large corked vial. He compared its inventory number to the one on the card and frowned. Leaving the vial, he moved to another shelf.

"Find anything?" Dean already knew the answer, because if he had, Sam wouldn't have looked nearly so dour.

"Yes, I have found many things. None of them, however, immediately useful to our current situation."

Dean rolled his eyes. One could tell how cranky the angel was by his level of sarcasm.

Cas peered at a bottle filled with some kind of noxious looking yellow-green goo. "Ah. There you are." He returned to the desk and marked the card with a highlighter before adding it to a stack. "Have you come to help?"

Dean hesitated. He was bored, but was he that bored? Unfortunately, the answer was a resounding yes. "Sure." At least Cas was talking to him, even if he occasionally stared at him with that penetrating and sympathetic gaze like he could see exactly how torn up with guilt and regret Dean was. Cas had said he understood the reasons why Dean lied to him and Sam about Ezekiel (Gadreel, he corrected himself again). Even so, Dean couldn't shake the feeling Cas hadn't quite forgiven him yet for it or for kicking him out of the bunker just after he'd lost his grace. Probably, especially, that.

Dean glanced at the items next to the bottle. There was a small primitive (and fugly) statue, a crystal ball, and what looked to be a music box. Curiosity peaked, Dean picked it up. A tag was tied to one of the box's filigree feet, but it was only marked with a string of letters and numbers. Dean glanced over at Cas, who was busy at the card cabinet again.

"Cas, have you looked up FB176 yet?"

"Um, yes, I believe so."

Dean looked the music box over for any markings other than the simple floral inlay on the lid but didn't find any. "It's not haunted or cursed is it?"

"No."

There was something familiar about the music box. A distant memory emerged of his mother at her vanity, Dean sitting on her lap as she showed him how to wind the music box and make it play a song. Dean wondered if it might play the same song. He cranked the key. Cas spun around as the gears clicked and whirred. "Dean, wait, don't-"

But it was too late, Dean had already begun opening the lid. Bright light spilled out from the box. Cas grasped his wrist just as the light blinded him. A sudden wind whipped past him and his feet lifted from the ground. For a moment it felt like he was spinning, then his feet hit the ground again with a hard thwack. Cas' firm and steady grip on his arm kept Dean from losing his balance. The light faded and it didn't take long for Dean to realize they weren't in the bunker anymore. The first thing he saw was trees. Big old ones that stretched far up into the blue sky above. He was in a forest on a road... a yellow brick road. He swore.

"Dean, what is it? Are you okay?" Cas was holding onto him like he was afraid Dean might fly away (again).

"Yeah, but I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore." Dean kicked a pebble across the road.

"No, we're not,” Cas replied gravely, looking around, “The Men of Letters file said the music box came into their possession after a young girl was reported to have vanished in a blast of white light. They eventually determined that it was a means of travel to the fairy world, however, the music box can’t enter the fairy world itself. Which means anyone who uses it will be…"

It was then Dean realized he was no longer holding the music box. "Don't say it."

"...stranded."

Dean threw his hands up. "I told you not to say it." Dean gripped at his hair in frustration. "Damn it."

Cas remained silent while Dean freaked out. He'd gone looking for a distraction and he certainly found one. He should have just Netflix'ed something instead. Dean paced along the annoyingly yellow brick. He needed to calm down. If he calmed down, then he could work the problem out. Dean took a deep breath. "Okay. We're stuck here, but the music box is still back at the bunker, right?"

"Yes."

"So eventually Sammy will notice us missing, he'll find the music box and figure out what happened." Dean felt a modicum of relief.

"He might, but... Dean, if Sam uses the music box to find us, he'll only get stranded too."

Dean shook his head. "Sam's smart. He'll have a plan to get us back before he'd do something like that."

Cas looked skeptical. "You both have a habit of rushing into danger when it comes to rescuing each other."

"Then we better find a way back ourselves before then. We should find Charlie and Dorothy. They have the Key to Oz, so if we can get to them, then getting home will be as easy as opening a door. They were headed to the Emerald City when they left, so we just gotta follow the yellow brick road until we get there."

"Okay, you seem to know more about Oz than I, so I will follow your lead."  
Dean shrugged. Unlike Charlie, he’d never read the books (which, apparently, were a load of bull crap anyway) so he really only knew what Dorothy had told him, which wasn't much.

Cas eyed the road thoughtfully. "Which direction do you think will lead us to the Emerald City?"

There were no signs and the rolling hills and large trees obscured any view of the horizon, so dean picked a direction at random and projected (false) confidence in his decision. "This way."

About fifteen minutes into their journey, Dean heard rustling within the trees and bushes around them. The sensation of being watched manifested as a prickling along the back of his neck. He shared a look with Cas who was immediately on guard. Dean was unarmed and feeling naked because of it. Before he could ask if Cas had his angel blade on him, a dozen figures emerged from the surrounding woods. They carried bows and were dressed as though they'd stepped out of a Lord of the Rings movie. They encircled Dean and Cas, trapping them on the road.

"Whoa!" Dean held up his hands in surrender. "We come in peace."

A tall man with fine features and hair long enough to put Sam's to shame stepped forward. "With whom do you claim allegiance?"

Dean screwed up his face. Dorothy had been a member of the rebels fighting against the forces of the 'Dark Empire', but Dean couldn’t remember any specific names. He took a chance and gave the only name he could. "Dorothy."

The man nodded and lowered his bow slightly. "What is your business in the Hollow Forest?"

"Just passing through on our way to the Emerald City."  
The man's eyes narrowed and he raised his bow once more. "Then why were you heading in the opposite direction?"

Crap. "Um, guess I got turned around?" Dean shrugged.

"You will come with us. You can plead your case to the Princess."

"See, the thing is, we're kind of in a hurry. Maybe you could just get us going in the right direction…"

"That was not a request."

Of course not. Dean calculated the odds, a dozen armed men and women with bows and arrows, against the two of them armed only with their fisticuffs and can-do spirit. "Let's go see the princess."

The leader of the small band, with three of his bowmen, escorted Dean and Cas to a hollow tree. It had to be at least twenty feet wide, with an opening large enough for two to walk through side by side. Beyond the entrance, there was a long stairway leading down into the earth. By the time they reached the last step, Dean realized that they were in an underground castle. Massive stone walls surrounded them from all sides, more stairs and hallways led off in different directions. Above them, globes floated overhead filling the space with light. At the back of the large chamber, a throne stood upon a dais.

On the throne, an elegantly dressed woman sat quietly still as they approached. Dean wasn't certain on the protocol for meeting royalty, so he kept his head bowed.

"Princess, we found these men trespassing through our woods. They claim they were traveling to the Emerald City, but that was not the direction they were headed."

Dean glared at the long-haired man. "Hey, I was lost okay. We're not from around here."

The man sneered. "That is obvious."

"Enough," commanded the Princess.

Dean turned to face her, ready to argue for their freedom, but the words immediately escaped him when he saw the Princess' face. "Gilda?"

The fairy princess stood from her throne, just as surprised. "Dean Winchester? Charlie's friend?"

"Yeah. What the heck are you doing in Oz? I thought you were returning home to Arkhmoor?"

Gilda stepped down from the dais. "I did. You're in the Hollow Forest which borders the land between Arkhmoor and Oz."

Cas watched them converse with confusion. "Dean? You know the Princess of Arkhmoor?"

"It was a case Sam and I worked a while back with our friend Charlie. Some douche nozzle had summoned Gilda from the fairy world and bound her to do his bidding."

"And for your help in freeing me, I am eternally grateful. Is Charlie with you?" She looked hopefully past their shoulders, as though the redhead might be hiding somewhere behind them.

"You didn't know? Charlie has been in Oz for months. Last I heard she was going to help Dorothy with the rebellion."

Gilda's eyes widened. "Oh. I had heard the chosen one had returned with a companion in tow, but I did not know it was Charlie. With the war on, news from the Emerald City does not often make it this far out.

"How bad is it? The war?"

"The rebellion has fared better since Dorothy's return, but the dark forces of Oz are very powerful. If you plan to travel there, know that you will be walking into a war-zone. Many dangers will await you."

"Great." Dean sighed.

Cas turned to Dean, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps there is another way to get home."

Dean snapped his fingers. "That's right! Gilda, you can travel between worlds. You could take us back. I mean, you kind of owe us a favor, right?"  
Gilda's expression saddened and Dean dropped his hopeful smile. "I wish I could, but I can no longer summon the kind of power that would take. Since the rebellion started anew, Queen Ozma has placed dark crystals throughout Oz that prohibit the use of magic. There is one situated near our border that has dampened all magic within the Hollow Forest."

"And you can't just ask her to move it?"

Gilda laughed humorlessly. "Ozma is not one to be reasoned with. She believes she is protecting Oz and will not be swayed on this matter. She even has a dragon guarding it."

"A dragon, huh? We've killed one of those before." Technically Sam had done the killing, but Dean had helped. Close enough.

"You have?" Gilda's expression turned hopeful. "Could you do it again?"  
"I'd need a weapon forged in dragon's blood... We have one, but it's back in the bunker, in our world."

Gilda surprised Dean when she replied, "That is not an obstacle." She nodded to a guard, who bowed in understanding and left the chamber.

Dean raised a brow. "You have one?"

"More than one."

Dean frowned. "Then why hasn't someone here taken care of it?"  
Gilda sighed, shaking her head. "I dare not provoke Ozma. I do not want my people dragged into Oz's war. But as outsiders, you--"

"Can upset the hornets' nest without getting stung. Right." Dean crossed his arms. "So if we kill this dragon and destroy the crystal, you'll take us home?"  
Gilda nodded.

Dean glanced at Cas. "What do you think, Cas?"

Cas seemed contemplative. "I think it will be very dangerous."

Dean raised both brows. "More dangerous then trekking across a war-zone. straight to its epicenter?"

Cas sighed. "I suppose we don't have much choice then."

"That's the spirit." Dean slapped his back. "Always love to see that optimistic enthusiasm of yours, Cas."

Cas simply glared at him.

The guard Gilda had sent away returned carrying a lance in one hand and a sword in the other. Gilda took the sword first and handed it to Dean. Dean tested the weight and balance in his hand, careful of its sharp edges.

She handed the lance to Cas, who eyed the weapon critically. After some examination, he gave a satisfactory nod. "This will do."

Gilda returned his nod. "Do you wish to rest first? The dragon’s cave is nearly a two-hour walk from here."

"Nah, I'd rather get an early start on this before we lose daylight. If that's alright with you?"

Gilda smiled. "Of course. I can lend you both horses to speed your travel."

The horses were pure white and armored in gleaming gold. They traveled at a swift gait, seemingly unencumbered by the extra weight. "I feel like freaking King Arthur on this thing." Dean grinned at Cas. "Guess that makes you Merlin."

Alongside Dean, Cas rode stiffly, eyeing his horse warily. "This was never my favorite mode of transportation. My previous vessel was nearly thrown from one once."

"Your previous vessel?"

Cas nodded but did not elaborate. Dean noticed Cas rarely talked about his past. Getting any information was often like pulling teeth. He supposed Cas was reluctant because thinking about the past meant thinking about heaven, his brothers and sisters, and everything he'd lost since helping the Winchester brothers. So Dean didn't press.

They arrived at the cave's entrance by late afternoon. There was no sign of the dragon. "Hey, think maybe the dragon's off hunting or something and we might actually be able to just walk in and smash the crystal without a fight?"

Cas eyed him skeptically.

"Yeah, that's not really our kind of luck is it?" Dean dismounted from the horse, tying its reigns to a branch. He unsheathed the sword and held it ready. Cas did the same, carrying the lance with ease.

They advanced toward the cave's entrance with quiet footsteps. The cave was deep and shrouded in darkness. Dean listened carefully for any sound that a dragon might make. He heard a hum, like a song, but it came from the woods, not the cave. Dean and Cas turned to see a woman, dressed in a flowy green gown, carrying a basket full of flowers. Her auburn hair cascaded down her back in wavy curls. She paused in her approach but smiled. "Hello. Are you lost?"

"Are you? You do know there's a dragon residing here," asked Dean in disbelief.

The woman's eyes widened. "A dragon? Here?" Her gaze darted to the cave, then to their weapons. "Are you here to kill it?"

"Yes," Cas replied bluntly, "We are." He gripped the lance tighter.

"Oh. That's too bad. I was really enjoying the day." Her friendly demeanor quickly changed to that of sneering hatred. She dropped the basket and lunged forward with inhuman speed, darting around the lance to grab Cas by the neck. Her claw-like nails dug into Cas’ jugular. A red glow seeped between her fingers and Cas gasped as his skin sizzled under her searing touch.

Dean charged her with the sword, but she ducked behind Cas, using him as a shield. Dean barely managed to pull up in time. Her grip on Cas had loosened though, which was enough for him to wrench free and swing the lance out low, knocking her to the ground. Cas aimed the lance at her heart and threw it, but she rolled out of the way. It only managed to pierce the billowy sleeve of her dress. The fabric ripped as she scrambled away to stand. Her clenched fists glowed brighter as she bared her teeth and growled.

Dean readied his sword for another charge. Cas pulled his lance free from the ground.

The woman’s growl turned into a roar as maroon colored scales spread over her skin. Horns sprouted from her head, curving back as they grew. She fell to her knees as her torso lengthened. Her face distorted gruesomely as her jaw and nose stretched into a scaly muzzle. She grew larger, her gown ripping to pieces until she was no longer a woman but a dragon. A very angry dragon. Her spiked tail whipped back and forth as she crouched like a tiger ready to pounce.

“Dean!” Cas hurled the lance aiming again for the heart, but the dragon reared up and it pierced her side instead. She hissed and spit acid at Cas in retaliation.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Dean ran forward, darting under the dragon's large talons, and slashed upward, plunging the sword straight into her chest. Dean jumped back as the large beast fell to the ground with a loud thud that shook the ground.

Dean turned to Cas with wide eyes. "Dude! I just slayed a dragon!"  
"Congratulations." Cas winced as he touched the burn mark on his neck. Acid sizzled on the ground near his feet.

The initial thrill of victory forgotten, Dean rushed over to Cas. His fingers hovered over the angry red burn on Cas’ neck. “Cas, are you-?”

“I’m fine, Dean.” Dean continued to stare at the wound worriedly. Cas squeezed his arm reassuringly. “It’ll heal.”

Dean visibly relaxed as his hand fell to Cas’ shoulder. He didn't move away, frozen in place by the blue eyes staring back at him. Dean felt a million unspoken words pass between them in that gaze. He moved his hand to the back of Cas' head and closed the distance between them. Cas stiffened at the first press of lips, but then his arms came up, wrapping around Dean, holding him close. The kiss was both passionate and gentle as Dean was careful not to hurt Cas further.

They broke apart breathless. Hand still on Cas' head, he rested their foreheads together. "Does this mean you’ve forgiven me?"

"Yes, Dean. Always."

Dean kissed him again.

Destroying the crystal was easy after that. They gathered up its shattered remains to take back to Gilda, mounted their horses, and rode back to the Hollow Forest.

  
“I am once again in your debt.” Gilda smiled gratefully at Dean and Cas. “If there’s anything else I can do to repay you...”

“I don’t suppose you have anything in your bag of tricks that could kill a Knight of Hell?”

Gilda’s eyes widened. “A knight of Hell?” She shook her head. “I don’t think even the Wizard could help you with that. I’m sorry.”

Dean shrugged it off. “I figured as much. How about this, if you see Charlie, tell her I said hi. And let her know she’s missed.”

“I can do that.” As thanks, Gilda insisted on throwing a celebration before taking them home. So that night the forest was filled with music, dancing, and magic.

Enchanted fireworks lit up the night sky. Cas placed a hand against Dean's back as they watched the sparkling lights move in an orchestrated dance above. "What are you thinking about?"

"I get it now, why Charlie wanted to come here. There's something to be said for magic and adventure."

"And a happy ending?"

Dean grinned at Cas. "That too." He moved his arm over Cas' shoulders, content to relax and enjoy the moment while they could.

When the first rays of sunshine broke the morning sky, Gilda returned them to the bunker. Sam was relieved to find them safe and mostly unharmed. The music box had apparently broken when it fell from Dean's vanished hands, which meant Sam had no way of finding them, though he had spent the whole night searching the archives anyway.

They fell into a more relaxed routine after that, Sam's relief over Dean coming back alive softening his anger. They still had to find a weapon that would stop Abaddon, and deal with Gadreel, but the time they had in between searching and hunting, Dean made certain he and Cas put to good use (with lots of happy endings).


End file.
